PORT SUDAN – A United Nations inter-agency humanitarian convoy has successfully reached the towns of Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, marking a significant breakthrough after being blocked by active hostilities for 40 days.
The UN aid convoy, which arrived on Tuesday, represents the first major delivery of life-saving assistance to the region in several months. The 26-truck convoy had been on standby since early January, delayed by shifting front lines and the refusal of security guarantees from warring factions.
Navigating the Conflict Zone
The journey from Port Sudan to the Nuba Mountains required the UN to abandon traditional supply routes in favour of a complex, off-road passage. This detour was necessary to bypass intense clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) along the primary Al Obeid highway.
UN officials confirmed that the convoy carried over 800 metric tonnes of supplies. This includes food, nutritional supplements for marginalised communities, and essential medicines. The delivery is intended to support an estimated 70,000 people who have been living under near-total isolation for over two years.
The Al-Hilu Factor: Power Dynamics in the Nuba Mountains
The success of this mission hinged on the cooperation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), commanded by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. In the fractured landscape of the Sudanese civil war, the SPLM-N has emerged as a formidable third power, holding a “state-within-a-state” in the Nuba Mountains.
Abdelaziz al-Hilu remains a definitive figure in the nation’s political struggle, consistently championing a secular state and the right to self-determination for the Nuba people. While the SAF and RSF battle across the rest of the country, al-Hilu has focused on fortifying his strongholds. His political weight grew further in early 2025 when he assumed a senior role in a parallel governing alliance alongside the RSF, though his military wing maintains strict operational independence and continues to clash with any group threatening its territory.
You can learn more about the movement’s objectives and the regional context in this overview of Abdelaziz al-Hilu and the Nuba Mountains struggle.
Gatekeepers of the Humanitarian Corridor
By controlling the strategic heights surrounding both Kadugli and Dilling, the SPLM-N effectively acts as the gatekeeper for all inland aid. This week’s breakthrough was the result of several critical factors:
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Tactical Cooperation: The convoy’s successful off-road navigation was only possible through direct security guarantees from SPLM-N field commanders who oversee the rural hinterlands.
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The Burden of Displacement: Territories under al-Hilu’s administration are currently sheltering more than 600,000 internally displaced persons. This massive influx has pushed local resources to the brink of collapse, making international aid an absolute necessity.
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The Juba Consensus: The mission followed exhaustive negotiations in Juba. Diplomatic pressure finally broke a long-standing deadlock between the SAF and the SPLM-N regarding whether aid should be delivered via cross-border routes or through government-monitored territory.
Breakdown of the Humanitarian Payload
Coordinated by the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the cargo addresses a total collapse in local infrastructure:
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Food Security: The WFP delivered 700 metric tonnes of staples, prioritising 21,000 mothers and children who are currently facing acute famine conditions.
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Medical Emergency: The UNDP provided 70 metric tonnes of Global Fund supplies. These include life-sustaining treatments for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, which had completely run out in Kadugli’s hospitals.
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WASH Services: UNICEF contributed water and sanitation kits to curb the spread of waterborne diseases amongst the displaced populations.
A Fragile Lifeline
While the arrival of the convoy is a reprieve, humanitarian coordinators warn that one-off missions are insufficient to stem the tide of the crisis. Denise Brown, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, noted that the siege of urban centres in South Kordofan has turned a manageable food shortage into a man-made catastrophe.
The security situation remains precarious. Only weeks ago, a separate aid mission in North Kordofan was targeted by a drone strike, resulting in a fatality. This underlines the extreme risks aid workers face when operating in contested territories where control is split between the military, paramilitary forces, and the SPLM-N.
Humanitarian agencies are now calling for a permanent “humanitarian pause” to allow for a predictable flow of goods. Without regular access, the supplies delivered this week are expected to last less than three months.
